Written and performed by Tanya Thomas and directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, Naturally Tan explores the complexities of racial identity and colorism facing the Asian diaspora and the consequences wrought by damaging beauty standards.
Santa Monica Playhouse will reopen its newly refurbished Main Stage this fall with the return of the Binge Free Festival (BFF), celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season from October 14 through November 16, 2025.
Binge Free Festival, the month-long festival of free shows at Santa Monica Playhouse, returns for the ninth time this February. The Festival will run from February 25 through March 30.
Jerry Mayer, a nonagenarian from St. Louis has written and/or produced for many classic TV shows and specials. In 1986, his first play, Almost Perfect, debuted at Santa Monica Playhouse which has led to almost a dozen more - so far! I decided to speak with him about his latest comedy, Jews R 2 Much Fun, at the Santa Monica Playhouse as well as his long-running and extremely successful TV writing career.
Why Worry? Jews R 2 Much Fun! world premiere engagement of a new comedy, written by Jerry Mayer and directed by Chris DeCarlo, has been announced at Santa Monica Playhouse.
The 30th Annual Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival (LAWTF) will honor seven women for their exceptional career and life achievements in the Opening Night Champagne GALA and Awards Ceremony on March 23, 2023 at 8:00 pm, preceded by a reception at 6:30 pm, at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre.
Kathy and Stanley are deeply in love. They want to get married. Stanley is Jewish, Kathy's a Catholic. Interfaith marriages happen all the time in America. But Kathy's father Chris considers Stanley's father Marv to be a hated, sworn enemy and has felt this way for many years. Kathy and Stanley's families are to be united in matrimony. In order to prevent Chris' hate from derailing their happiness, they devise a plan. Stanley's family, aided by Kathy's mother Mary, are about to give Chris a very special education. Hilarity ensues. Chris will ultimately have to deal with the question Why Be an Uptight Anti-Semite? Jews R 2 Much Fun.
Santa Monica Playhouse returns to live theatre with the premiere of a new incarnation of Jerry and Steve Mayer's musical about the trials and tribulations of 'aging' directed by veteran (and frequent Mayer) director Chris DeCarlo opening March 12, 2022 for a limited run.
Asian comedy troupe CRAZY WOKE ASIANS created by Kiki Yeung will be celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a schedule full of shows at the Santa Monica Playhouse. Kiki managed to find some time to answer a few of my inquiries between producing the various May shows, rehearsing her own stand-up and taking care of her toddler son.
The month of October heralds the return of the Santa Monica Playhouse BFF: The Binge Fringe Festival of FREE Theatre.
This Spotlight focuses on Christine Joëlle, an actress I first saw onstage in the summer of 2004 as Madge Owens in Picnic, directed by Gail Bernardi for Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse. Christine and I went on to work together in many productions for the community theatre group, both onstage and on production teams. Since then, I have been fortunate to follow her path across the stages of professional theatre companies all over town, always enjoying her ability to transform herself into a great variety of characters a?" often during the same show! And I am also a very happy customer of her pet care service, Movin' Paws.
This Spotlight focuses on Shelley Fisher, a down home diva better known as The Hebrew Hillbilly, her solo music play which is the longest running in the USA. Believing that music is the universal language which brings healing and encouragement to everyone, performing her show fuels the flames of creativity and hope for Shelley, and comedy provides a welcome break from the weight of life as it is today. So, what is she up to until she can back inside the Santa Monica Playhouse to perform for an audience again?
This Spotlight focuses on Barbara a?oeBobbiea?? Keegan, an Emmy Award-winning actress who always says a?oeyesa?? to the Santa Monica Playhouse and Theatre 68 who always travels with her adopted son, good luck charm and alter- ego, a?oeSmitty the Magical Flying Purple Turtle.a?? I first met both of them during the second Hollywood Fringe Festival when Keegan took Best in Fringe honors headlining in the world premiere of Jon Courie's JENNIFER ANISTON STOLE MY LIFE, which Courie wrote specifically with her in mind.
Santa Monica Playhouse announces the extension of the hit comedy Mistakes Were Made - coulda-woulda-shoulda and the addition of award-winning actress Barbara Keegan to the cast, returning to the Playhouse in her third Jerry Mayer hit. Mistakes Were Made now playing through April 26.
As is true with almost every one of The Bard's plays, magic and mayhem, fops and fairies, mistaken identity, romance and humor abound in this tongue-firmly-in-cheek evening with elements of pantomime, Commedia dell'arte and conventions of classical theater woven together with DeCarlo and Rudie narrating the tale as the elvish mischief makers Orion and Talia. While there are quotes and references from several of The Bard's creations, LOVE IN BLOOM takes its biggest story line from a?oeA Midsummer Night's Dreama?? with three sets of lovers dealing with mistaken identities due to cross-dressing, who eventually get lost in the woods in order for the fairies' spell to be cast so that all ends well and love rules the day.
Brush up your Shakespeare. Santa Monica Playhouse's bawdy musical comedy tribute to the rogues and wenches of the Bard, Love in Bloom, celebrates its 10th anniversary to insure that all's well that ends as you like it. Magic and mayhem, fops and fairies, mistaken identity, romance and humor abound in this tongue-firmly-in-cheek evening of theatre opening Saturday, October 26th
Certainly, all of us can think of mistakes we made which caused unseen, or perhaps even planned, problems for our friends and/or family members. And as we age, it seems that when we recognize the need to make amends to set things right in our own lives, we need to do that before it's too late. But what if trying to make amends causes even more problems when the truth is revealed, while causing laughs galore at the foibles of all the players? Such is the case in the world premiere of Jerry Mayer's tenth play, MISTAKES WERE MADE - coulda-woulda-shoulda, at the Santa Monica Playhouse. In fact, the comedy has been so popular with audiences, it has been extended through the end of September!
ALEICHEM SHOLOM! The Wit and Wisdom of Sholom Aleichem, a new musical written by the internationally acclaimed team of Chris DeCarlo and Evelyn Rudie with lilting songs by Ben Weisman, is now playing at the Santa Monica Playhouse. It follows the life of the beloved Yiddish story-teller and everyone is his entourage, especially his wife, spinning tales of his loves and losses, his fame and his failures, his travels, his travails and the tremendous joy and optimism that kept him going against all odds.
Santa Monica Playhouse presents the World Premiere of ALEICHEM SHOLOM! The Wit and Wisdom of Sholom Aleichem -The fifth offering in the Playhouse Sholom Aleichem catalog of musicals, part of the Playhouse Jewish Heritage Project at Santa Monica Playhouse - opening Today, May 19th 2018
Santa Monica Playhouse presents the World Premiere of ALEICHEM SHOLOM! The Wit and Wisdom of Sholom Aleichem -The fifth offering in the Playhouse Sholom Aleichem catalog of musicals, part of the Playhouse Jewish Heritage Project at Santa Monica Playhouse - opening Today, May 19th 2018
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